Never Again
by Ashkash
Summary: Bruce smiled, closed the paper, and looked up at the lady serving him. He soon frowned. “Aren’t you the same Chloe Sullivan who works here?” he asked, pointing at her name on a public affairs article of the newspaper. Bruce Wayne & Chloe, Adore universe.


Title: **_Never Again_**

Spoilers: Adore universe mainly, Smallville, and maybe my other fic Never Forget. As before, a date or year isn't going to be specified. Also, minor Justice League Unlimited reference.

Rating: PG

Pairing: Bruce/Chloe.

Disclaimer: Smallville, Batman, Batman Begins, and other DC characters are not mine.

**Smallville/Batman Begins**. Another experimental one-shot scene set in the Adore universe, again which may or may not be a part of the actual story.

Inspired by something from the past.

* * *

**_Never Again_**

**New York**

The city was more like Metropolis than Gotham City, though it had its dreadful moments. It was bright and full of belief like Metropolis, while it's percentage of the dark couldn't compare to Gotham City. Some had described Gotham as New York City in disarray; maybe they had been right.

He tried to avoid cities like New York and Metropolis.

Bruce Wayne was reading **_The New York Times_** and was waiting to be served at a diner called **_Small Towns_**. He was visiting the city to make a rare attendance at a business meeting for Wayne Enterprises. It was good to see businesses wanting to come back to Gotham, though there was a high possibility that they would become targets for the scum. However, though he had been interested, attending that meeting had only been a cover. Batman had some business of his own to attend to, and no one would raise an eyebrow if Gotham's Favourite Son had strolled into the city.

"Coffee, black, two cubes?" a familiar woman's voice suggested.

Bruce smiled, closed the paper, and looked up at the lady serving him. He soon frowned. "Aren't you the same Chloe Sullivan who works here?" he asked, pointing at her name on a public affairs article of the newspaper.

She threw him a flirtatious smile. "Would you like an autograph to go with that order, Mister Wayne?" she asked in a playful tone.

Wayne smiled. "One of those famous muffins would be nice."

Chloe narrowed her eyes and placed her fists on her hips. "Who's been jinxing my muffins?" she demanded. His only answer was a smile, and she shook her head after quickly realising who had been bragging about her baking. "If Clark ever catches him I'll kill him."

He laughed and leaned back in the chair to look her over. She hadn't changed much; her hair was longer and it was tied to the back, leaving the rest to fall with a slightly waviness to it. She seemed brighter than bright. He then took in her apron and soon smiled. It was red and at the stomach area there was a drawing of what looked like the Kent farm, and above the house and in bold letters was the name of the diner. The font was also familiar, but he couldn't place it. The image represented a typical small town farm, and Allen repeating the slogan soon came to his mind, before he had scoffed down an entire apple pie he had bought here, "_Bringing small town cooking to the big city. Damn straight_!"

"Would you like me to twirl?" Chloe asked with a grin.

Bruce smiled. "I'm good."

Chloe gave Bruce's order to a nearby waitress and then took off her apron before sitting down in the chair opposite to him. "I'm helping out," she said, answering his earlier question.

"Aren't the employees worried when the boss is on the floor?" Bruce said.

She shrugged. "Daniel hasn't told me anything."

The smile on the billionaire's face was hiding the slight jealously from hearing that name. "And how is Ben?"

Chloe smiled. "He's in the back giving the delivery guys hell." Bruce arched an eyebrow. "They missed yesterday's delivery for no apparent reason," she clarified.

"I see."

"So, what are you doing in New York of all places? Work?"

Wayne smirked. "You could say that."

Chloe broke into a grin and nodded in understanding. "Ah. You're here for the nightlife. How'd that go?"

"I'm finished."

"Excellent. Should I be expecting anything interesting popping up?"

Bruce was still smirking. "Stay tuned," he finished, slightly cryptic. With his order arriving, she laughed and looked down while playing with her pad.

**_Small Towns_** was in fact owned by Benjamin Daniel Stevens and Chloe Sullivan - a couple running it together. Its charm was reminiscent of **_The Talon_** in Smallville, and it felt like you were in a small town while sitting here. It normally attracted customers of high-class and middle-class, but twice a year it helped out with distributing food for the less fortunate. Their first choice of name had been **_Stevens and Sullivan's_**, but they had quickly agreed that the name had been too cliché, and it had sounded more like a law firm than a friendly neighbourhood diner and bar. Their present name for the diner had come from their experiences with small towns. Initially reluctant, Chloe had agreed to enter into the business with Ben and had joked about it, saying that she had ended up in a place where she tried to avoid working. To which Ben had replied that it wasn't a café.

Bruce had heard all about this from Clark, even though he had already been aware of the opening of **_Small Towns_**. He hadn't known what had been happening behind the scenes. It had been two years since Chloe had left Gotham, with Ben. An opportunity had opened up at **_The Times_** and with encouragement from Bruce and Kenny she had gone for an interview, and had gotten the position. Though he hadn't really wanted her to leave, Bruce was satisfied that she was in a city more like Metropolis than Gotham City.

Ben and Chloe's relationship had started a few months before she had left Gotham, a long while after she and Bruce had agreed to end their own relationship. It had been more of his decision than hers, but it had been widely agreed that he hadn't 'dumped' her. It was for her protection, and a reason he had to carry on believing otherwise he wouldn't have been able to concentrate on work. She had appeared to accept it, though she had told him, "_I've been here before. It's not going to happen again after this_."

Through those difficult months, Bruce and Chloe had kept a mostly professional relationship, with the occasional moments that reminded them of the past. He had also noticed that whenever Ben had been in Gotham, Chloe had seemed brighter. They had known each other before she had moved to Gotham and it appeared that there had been something between them, but Bruce hadn't been quite sure. She had never mentioned him before. He had researched Ben Stevens, and hadn't found anything out of the ordinary. It had been good to see her happy again.

There had been times when he couldn't help but regret, and one of those times was happening right now as he was looking at her smiling face. "_She's going to move on, you know. And then what_?" Clark had once said to him. "_As long as she's happy_," had been his explanation for everything, and to some extent it had been true. He had to continue believing it.

Chloe's left hand then caught his attention, and he immediately knew what he was seeing – an engagement ring. "Congratulations," he immediately said. Clark hadn't told him anything.

She froze for a few seconds, before looking down at the ring. Her eyes widened slightly as she realised what he had just referred to. "Thanks," she said, while not taking her eyes off the ring. "It happened last week, and I just…"

He interrupted her. "You don't have to explain." Clark didn't tell him anything. Regardless, she was happy, and that was all he was concerned about. She finally looked at him, and soon returned the gentle smile he was giving her. "Congratulations," he repeated, in genuine happiness.

Chloe then pointed at him. "You better come to this one," she said in a warning tone. "I have a Superman in my corner. Don't make me let him pull you by your long ear."

"I'll do my best."

"Good enough." A few moments of passed as they sat in comfortable silence, with Chloe playing with her pad and Bruce enjoying his order. He had simply wanted to see her, but then he had gotten something else. "So, what's this I'm hearing about you and Diana?" she then suddenly asked.

Bruce stopped drinking his coffee and looked at her over the rim of the white cup. "I'm not sure what you mean," he said and then resumed drinking.

Chloe was now grinning. "I've been informed about some heated… arguments… between you and a certain princess, with a certain alien always having to break it up?" she whispered.

He wasn't giving anything away from his calmness. "Still not sure what you mean." Bruce then smirked. "Where'd you hear that? I thought you were past gossip."

"I can't help but listen if a friend is talking about what's been happening in his life."

"You mean in someone else's life."

She grinned triumphantly and pointed at him. "Aha! You admit it!"

"I didn't admit to anything."

"Miss Sullivan…" A rather attractive red-haired waitress interrupted Bruce and Chloe's lively conversation.

"Chloe…" Sullivan corrected. She also noticed Bruce eyeing the waitress.

"Chloe, Mist-_Ben's_… calling for your opinion."

"Thank you, Mary." Chloe then watched as Bruce and Mary exchanged looks. With a smile, the billionaire had kept his eyes on the waitress. Feeling a little nervous under his gaze, Mary blushed, fixed strands of hair behind her right ear and then left the table. Wayne then leaned to the left so that he could get a better look at the retreating Mary. Playboy-Bruce was out to play. "No flirting with my waitresses," Chloe immediately ordered.

"Is she single?" Bruce said, and Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't matter."

"She's married with two kids."

"At 23?"

Chloe's jaw dropped. "How'd you…" Mary looked older than her age. Sullivan then shook her head when she saw his smile. "Forget it." Getting up she whacked Bruce on the head with her pad. "I feel old," she said, and then indicated the coffee and muffin. "This one's on the house. Thank you. Come again." Sharing a laugh with him, Chloe then left the table. She didn't see Bruce's happy face descend into scowl.

A few minutes passed after Chloe's departure and Bruce tried his best to enjoy his free order, but her engagement kept distracting him fom the food and from reading the paper. However, he was soon to be disturbed as a familiar face crashed into the chair she had sat on. "What's happening man?" the visitor cheerfully said. The man then raised his right hand. "Up top…"

Bruce smiled at his new company, and then got the attention of the nearby waitress. "Mary, could I have this one to go please." Before leaving the table and even though the order had been free of charge, Bruce left money for it and a generous tip for Mary. Soon, with his hand still up in the air, a frowning Bart Allen was forced to watch the back of Bruce Wayne as the billionaire left **_Small Towns_**. As Bruce got into the backseat of his car, his dislike of cities not like Gotham was reinforced. He sighed as he took one last look at the diner.

She was happy.

He had to continue believing that he had made the right decision.

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**A/N**: Thanks for reading. Like Never Forget, I would totally understand if it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Thanks anyway. :) 


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